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Representative Michele Bachmann and the $200 million-a-day story

Anderson Cooper is widely credited for discrediting widely publicized reports that President Obama’s ten day India trip cost $200 million a day.

He interviewed Minnesota representative Michele Bachmann, the house Tea Party leader, who said she’d reduce extraneous government spending, like the Obama India trip, as part of budget cuts. That seven minute interview can be seen here: Anderson/Bachman CNN interview.

After the Anderson Cooper November 4 interview the White House and Pentagon broke their usual 'silence for security reasons' formality and spoke out about the $200 million lie heard around the world.

The Pentagon called the number “just comical.” The White House stated simply, “This trip doesn’t cost $200 million a day.”

Michelle Bachmann is the House Tea Party Leader

Ironically, Democratic leaders, Bill Clinton to be precise, had been all over Bachmann about her inability or refusal to research information prior to election day.

During October midterm campaigns for Democrats, Clinton stumped in Minnesota where Bachmann accused Clinton of “trying to put a hit on her and calling her stupid.”

Clinton’s actual words about Bachmann and stupidity were: "If you have an ideology, it means everything is determined by dogma and you're impervious to evidence. Evidence is irrelevant. That's how I see Rep. Bachmann. She's very attractive in saying all these things she says, but it's pretty stupid."

The Washington Post began the week with a tirade on Bachmann after she formed a tea party caucus in the House and told Politico that she “helped put that gavel in John Boehner’s hand.” Bachmann has been in office since 2007 and the majority of House Republicans did not appreciate Bachmann's comment on Boehner.

Bachmann made the statements as she sought election into the No. 4 GOP House leadership role. A week after she announced her candidacy, it appeared strongly the non-tea party GOP’ers had another candidate, Texas’s Jeb Hensarling, in mind. Bachmann then retracted her nomination.

The Washington Post noted that Bachmann’s GOP beat down is a sign that while the House is controlled by Republicans, the tea party only holds but so much sway.